This invention relates to heater vent systems and, more particularly, to a vent system for use with a residential gas-fired swimming pool heater which may be installed indoors or outdoors.
Over the years, a wide variety of gas-fired heaters have been developed for heating the water in residential swimming pools. Some of these heaters are designed for use outdoors, while others are designed for use indoors.
The vent design criteria is significantly different for indoor and outdoor heater installations. For example, in outdoor installations, the vent system must allow for proper heater combustion even under adverse weather conditions such as high winds and rain. Prior art outdoor heaters generally employ a vent cap mounted on the upper end of a vertical vent pipe to disperse the products of heater combustion into the surrounding air.
Prior art indoor heaters require a vent system which will allow for proper heater combustion under such adverse conditions as a severe downdraft and a blocked vent outlet. Prior art indoor heaters generally employ a drafthood mounted on the upper end of a vertical vent pipe to perform the venting function.
The differences in vent systems for indoor and outdoor installations has resulted in the proliferation of heaters designed specifically for indoor or outdoor installations.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved vent system for gas-fired heaters.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a vent system which can be used to configure a gas-fired heater for either indoor or outdoor installation.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a vent system which may be easily modified by an unskilled person to configure a gas fired heater for either indoor or outdoor installation.